Made-In-Vietnam

As you may know, every single item on our site has personally been sourced from a number of labels in Vietnam. This is The Hems' unique offering - granting you exclusive access to a carefully curated collection of Vietnam's cutest fits. But what does this mean exactly?

Do I haggle for cheap clothes at the overcrowded markets? Of course not! The Hems only stocks made-in-Vietnam boutique-labels. So to fill you in on where your clothes come from, I'll be interviewing a few of our key brands.

There's such an incredible movement right now to know where your clothing comes from; how it's made and even the stories behind the brand. That's why sharing this is so important - it really helps keep the trust we've developed with The Hems' community!

Brand Focus: MOONCHIC

For the first #behindthehems blog post, I interviewed a young label that's been behind some of this year's best selling looks: MOONCHIC. I prepared a couple of questions for their founder, Miss Ha Nguyen and Marketing Director, Bảo Dũng.

Check them out on Facebook and Instagram.

1) What is the story of Moonchic? What inspired the brand to start?

"Before I founded Moonchic, I worked for my family's brand - Bestmum Maternity which is a local maternity brand since 1998. So naturally I had an early interest in fashion. I wanted to bring something better to the local customers. That’s when I decided to turned all my thoughts and drafts in my mind into Moonchic Clothing, We opened our first store on Ba Trieu Street, famously known as the fashion street in Hanoi." 

Pictured: A look from the founder's family business - Bestmum Maternity. Have you ever?!?! 

2) Who are "Moongirls"?

"Moongirls represent all the young women out there who embrace their unique beauty. Our slogan will always be “Trendy and Mindful Products” - which means that we not only care about stylish clothes but also the quality of every piece."

3) How big is your team?

Our Moonteam has 6 people in the head-office and about 7 staff at the Moonchic Flagship Store. Our design team is a part of this too - they are all young talented local designers.

4) Can you tell me a bit about your factory?

I am lucky to share my factory with my parent's business, the Bestmum Maternity factory. Because many of the workers choose to work for my parents for 20 years - I believe they feel confident with the working environment. We always make sure to maintain the safest and happiest working conditions for all the workers.The factory is located right here in the centre of Hanoi, so I spend a lot of my time there. 

5) Where do you source all the materials for Moonchic?

There is a local fashion market, where we buy all the materials and fabrics. When you return to Vietnam, we would love to show you!

THE HEMS X MOONCHIC

Thanks for reading - we hope this post has given you a better idea of where your clothes come from.  Take a look at how we've styled some of our favourite Moonchic items!

 

Until next time! 

Sarah, x

The Hems is big on empowering women. So who better to shoot our Spring/Summer 2020 collection than one of our closest clients, Denise Siebuhr. 

I met Denise working as a retail assistant at The Strangers Club boutique in Cape Town. Shortly after launching my business, I wanted to work in an environment where I could learn from and network with local brands. The Strangers Club stocks the widest collection of Cape Town based brands, so what better place! I learned about our local market, how brands positioned themselves, what sold well and what did not.

Although my own items weren't part of the store, I had a knack for spotting hems-kinda-girls from a mile away! So as I packed up their orders, I would often tell a few of the customers that they should "check out my online store" (#alwayshustling). 

Ta-da! That's how I met Denise! And I am so grateful that I did because since then, I have made a great friend who I have been fortunate enough to work with too. Together, we've helped each other: She's helped me create beautiful content, clearly aligning with my vision for the brand. That content has helped me grow my business and of course, her portfolio too. Talk about #girlpower!

Check out the video below...

Photographer: Denise Siebuhr

Models: Andrea Wittenberg & Lola Steiner (both CPT)

Featured garments: 'Villa' Linen Shirt & 'Lucky Stripe' Suit Set

 #YouthDay: How this Girl Boss created an online clothing store (originally published on IOL)

FASHION / 16 JUNE 2019, 10:05AM / SACHA VAN NIEKERK

In celebration of Youth Day, IOL profiled young, successful entrepreneurs in South Africa who are making a name for themselves in their relative industries. From design, right down to fabric and fit, The Hems exudes taste and individuality as a personally curated womenswear collection sourced from boutique labels abroad and sold exclusively online.

 

Deeb left home with a humble suitcase on a solo mission. She was headed to the city of Saigon, Vietnam, for what she thought would be a year abroad teaching English after completing a Business Science degree at UCT. “Saigon oozed with energy even thicker than it’s humidity. The sheer amount of ‘unknowns’ excited me - alone in a completely new city with a lifestyle unbeknown to me. I was braver than I had ever been. All on my own, I explored,” she said. However, her little suitcase would get her so far… if she was going to make it, she would need a wardrobe.

After settling in and starting a wonderful job, she explored a new world of fashion. “Over the next 6 months, I built an entirely new wardrobe. I researched exactly where the cool-kids were shopping, had store attendants reveal their competitors and shamelessly stopped girls on the streets.

" My new wardrobe was classic, minimal and rotatable – a day never went by where I had 'nothing to wear. I was liberated. "

    

Chuffed with her success, she thought, “This has to be shared. If not now, then when?” and spent the next three months curating the launch collection from her favourite brands. “The first collection is entirely Saigon-sourced. Although those that follow may be sourced from far and wide, they will always be hand-sourced so that each garment may tell a story.

That’s the one thing I am most proud of: I have felt all our cotton, linens and silks; I’ve tried all fits and felt how they hang – it’s personal shopping that makes it different. People are loving it for exactly that.”